Bags with multiple and separable units

ABSTRACT

Bags are provided herein, having multiple separable units. The bags may be used for sorting waste into types in a simple manner, which may encourage more people to sort their waste. The bags have separate units which are interconnected at their tops, to allow easy separation upon waste disposal. The bags may be used in a range of applications, from home use, replacing multiple containers by a single container with the bag, to municipal use in garbage containers, sparing placing and simplifying waste processing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Israeli Patent Application No. 220136, filed on Jun. 4, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of waste sorting, and more particularly, to bags with multiple and separable units.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Waste sorting is an important step on the way to efficient recycling. However, at the home use level, many people are reluctant to handle multiple waste containers, while at the municipal level, multiple garbage containers occupy a lot of space, which is an obstacle in the way of widespread use.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,876, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an attempt to overcome these difficulties by using a trash bag that has separable compartments that are connected by plastic zippers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention provides a bag comprising at least two separable units wherein: each separable unit comprises a top opening having an opening circumference, the separable units are attached to each other by a perforated attachment region extending along at least a section of the opening circumference of each unit, and the units are free and not connected to each other along at least 80% of their length.

These, additional and/or other aspects and/or advantages of the present invention are set forth in the detailed description which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of embodiments of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections throughout.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2A-C are schematic illustrations of a bag with two separable units according to some embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 2D is schematic illustration of a bag with four separable units according to some embodiments of the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a method of waste sorting according to some embodiments of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a bag with two separable units according to some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Embodiments, of the invention provide bags with multiple separable units. The bags may be used for sorting waste into types in a simple manner, which may encourage more people to sort their waste. The bags have separate units which are interconnected at their tops, to allow easy separation upon waste disposal. The bags may be used in arrange of applications, from home use, replacing multiple containers by a single container with the bag, to municipal use in garbage containers, sparing placing and simplifying waste processing.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are high level schematic illustrations of a bag 100 with two separable units 101 according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one of units 101, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of two separated units 101. FIGS. 2A-C are high level schematic illustrations of bag 100 with two separable units 101 according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A is a top view of attached units 101, and FIGS. 2B-C and 4 are perspective views of two attached units 101. FIG. 2D is high level schematic top view illustration of bag 100 with four separable units 101 according to some embodiments of the invention

Each unit 101 is a distinguishable volume or pocket in bag 100 which may be used to contain a different type of waste (e.g., dry waste, wet waste, organic materials, different types of packages, bottles, paper etc.).

Bag 100 comprises at least two separable units 101. Each separable unit 101 comprises a top opening 104 having an opening circumference 105. Opening circumference 105 may be horizontal (e.g., FIG. 2B) or opening circumference 105 may have a horizontal dimension 106 and a vertical dimension 107 (e.g., FIGS. 1A, 1B).

Separable units 101 are attached to each other by a perforated attachment region 110 extending along at least a section of opening circumference 105 of each unit 101. For example, perforated attachment region 110 may be linear (e.g., FIG. 1A) or angled (e.g., FIGS. 1B, 2B, 4). Perforated attachment region 110 may comprise a section of horizontal dimension 106 and/or vertical dimension 107 of top opening 104. The location of perforated attachment region 110 may vary between pairs of attached units 101 in a single bag 100. Perforated attachment region 110 may further comprise extensions 108 that extend beyond the volume enclosing part of units 101 (see FIG. 1B). Openings 105 may be planar or non-planar, and of any form, e.g., round, square etc.

Units 101 may be separably attached to each other only at their top portions 102 near their openings 104, and be free and not connected to each other along most of their lengths (bottom portions 103). For example, bottom portion 103 of unit 101 may comprise 50%, 70%, 80% or 90% of their length. In an example, perforated attachment region 110 may be horizontal at the surface of openings 104, and thus units 101 may be unattached at over 90% of their length or even be free along their complete vertical length.

Bag 100 may further comprise handles, e.g., along perforated attachment region 110, in proximity thereto or apart from perforated attachment region 110. In an example, each separable unit 101 may comprises at least one handle 91 at perforated section 110 of opening circumference 105 and at least one handle 92 at an imperforated section of opening circumference 105 (see FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 4).

Advantageously, bags 100 may be produced as one piece, using commercial production methods, and require no additional mechanical means for separating units 101 apart from a simple perforation of the designed attachment regions 110.

In certain embodiments, bags 100 may have any form and be made of various bag materials. For example, bags 100 may be produced of polyethylene, nylon or any plastic material. Bags 100 may be produced from paper, cardboard or any other processes natural material. Different unit 101 of one bag 100 may be made of different materials, e.g., some (or all) of units 101 may be made of recyclable material. In an example, units 101 may have different colors, which designate the types of wastes belonging in each unit 101 (e.g., a dry waste unit may be green, and a wet waste unit may be brown). Unit colors may also be arbitrary, artistically designed or be used for advertisements. In certain embodiments, bags 100 may be flexible or, e.g., rectangular, and stiff. Bags 100 may be produced from various foils, e.g., aluminum foils.

In certain embodiments, units 101 may be sealable. In certain embodiments, units 101 may comprise fasteners or frame members arranged to allow easy attachment of bag 100 to a container, such as a home container or a public waste container. Bags 100 may be arranged to fit any type of waste container. Units 101 of bag 100 may have different sizes.

FIG. 4 illustrates an additional bag structure, with perforate attachment regions 110 being somewhat lower than opening circumference 105. Additionally, attachment regions 110 is not at the surface of unit 101 but perpendicular thereto, a configuration which may have mechanical advantages.

FIG. 2D is high level schematic top view illustration of bag 100 with four separable units 101 according to some embodiments of the invention. Any number of unit 101 with equal or different sizes may be designed in bag 100. As illustrated in FIGS. 2C and 2D, bag 100 may further comprise a margin 115 designed to enable attachment or mounting of bag 100 in a container while keeping openings 104 of units 101 substantially planar. Margin 115 may also be designed to protect perforated attachment region 110 from premature separation and damage. Margin 115 is also illustrated in FIG. 4, in which it also mechanically stabilizes bag 100 and helps maintain circumference 105 at one level as the bag's opening.

FIG. 3 is a high level schematic flowchart of a method 200 of waste sorting according to some embodiments of the invention. Method 200 may comprise any of the following stages: designing and/or producing a bag to have separable units attached to each other by a circumferential perforated attachment region (stage 210); using the bag to manually sort waste at home or public containers (stage 220) and separating the units upon waste disposal (stage 230). Method 200 may comprise sorting home waste by using bag 100 to segregate different waste types to different units. Method 200 may further comprise designing a bag margin to enable attachment or mounting of the bag in a container while keeping the top openings of the units substantially planar (stage 225).

Advantageously, bags 100 simplify waste sorting and make it more accessible, for example by disposing with the need to hold and maintain separate containers for different types of waste. For example one of units 101 may hold wet waste and another unit 101 may hold dry waste, while bag 100 is in a single container. In an example, the dry waste unit may be larger than the wet waste unit, e.g. in a 4:1 ratio.

Advantageously, bag 100 solves the problem of the excessive space taken up by separate containers used today for waste separation. In home use, dealing with several waste containers discourages private persons from recycling their home waste. At the house or municipal level, the necessity to set multiple garbage containers also requires a lot of space, a requirement which deters wide acceptation of the recycling paradigm Proposed bag 100 and waste sorting method 200 can alleviate these hindrances and allow effective recycling without excessive space consumption.

Waste sorting is then carried out simply by separating units 101 upon waste disposal. Unit separation is structurally arranged to be simple and to prevent damage to separate unit 101. In particular, the top attachment which leaves most of the bag unit free from each other protects the units from being torn or damaged by the separation.

In certain embodiments, each bag 100 and/or unit 101 may be barcoded and may be used to reward recycling citizens.

In certain embodiments, bag 100 further comprises an air freshener or a deodorizing composition in one or all units 101 (e.g., in a wet waste unit).

In the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementation of the invention. The various appearances of “one embodiment”, “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.

Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

Embodiments of the invention may include features from different embodiments disclosed above, and embodiments may incorporate elements from other embodiments disclosed above. The disclosure of elements of the invention in the context of a specific embodiment is not to be taken as limiting their used in the specific embodiment alone.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above.

The invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.

Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs, unless otherwise defined.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of some of the preferred embodiments. Other possible variations, modifications, and applications are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 

1. A bag comprising at least two separable units wherein: each separable unit comprises a top opening having an opening circumference, the separable units are attached to each other by a perforated attachment region extending along at least a section of the opening circumference of each unit, and the units are free and not connected to each other along at least 80% of their length.
 2. The bag of claim 1, wherein each separable unit comprises at least one handle at the perforated section and at least one handle in a non-perforated section of its opening circumference.
 3. The bag of claim 1, wherein the opening circumference of at least one pair of attached units has a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension, and wherein the perforated attachment region extends along the vertical dimension of the opening circumference.
 4. The bag of claim 1, wherein the separable units are rectangular and stiff.
 5. The bag of claim 1, arranged to fit inside a waste container.
 6. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a margin designed to enable attachment or mounting of the bag in a container while keeping the top openings of the units substantially planar.
 7. A method of sorting home waste comprising: using the bag of claim 1 to sort different waste types to different units, and separating the units upon waste disposal. 